Press Room

Yad Vashem Responds to New EU Report on Antisemitism

31 March 2004

In response to the newly released EUMC report on antisemitism, Avner Shalev, Chairman of the Yad Vashem Directorate said: "Yad Vashem calls upon all the nations of Europe to step up their educational efforts to combat antisemitism. The European Commission’s new report recognizes that one of the key means to combating antisemitism is education, especially education about the Holocaust. Yad Vashem, with its expertise in teaching about the Holocaust through its international teacher training seminars, will do its utmost to be of aid to the member states of the European Union in this vital task.” Shalev added, “The report in and of itself is important, although at times the analysis shrinks from drawing firm and soul-searching conclusions. We hope that the members of the European Union will look squarely at the problem of antisemitism in their midst and engage in deep self examination regarding its manifestations and motivations, and the underlying factors for both."